Message from President Jones: A Successful Ball

A sellout crowd of 300 came to the Convocation Center for Cal U's first Bow Ties &
Pearls Ball.

To our faculty, staff, and alumni:

On Saturdayevening, a sellout crowd of 300 came to theConvocation Center for our firstBow Ties & Pearls Ball. It was my pleasure to welcome a quartet of former student-athletes to our Athletic
Hall of Fame, and to honor distinguished graduate Bill Booker ’74 with the Lillian
M. Bassi Core Values Award.

I want to publicly thank the many staff members who helped to make this such a successfulfundraiser. And I am deeply grateful to the generous sponsors, donors and guests whose
contributions totaled more than $100,000.

It was wonderful to see so many friends of Cal U gathered in support of student scholarships
and alumni recognition projects on campus. I shared with those generous friends my
vision for a new donor-funded project to enhance our campus:Champions Way.

Located in the courtyard between Hamer Hall and the Convocation Center, Champions
Way will allow current and future students to learn about our University’s past and
see themselves as part of Cal U’s winning tradition. It will bring together, in one
space, artworks honoring our national championship teams and information about members
of our Athletic Hall of Fame. I envision Champions Way as an enduring point of pride
not just for our Athletics Department, but for our entire Cal U community.

The concept for Champions Way is still taking shape, spearheaded by our Bow Ties &
Pearls Club – a group that has invested, quite literally, in the future of Cal U.
Also under discussion is a complementary project that will honor other distinguished
graduates. As plans move forward,I’ll keep you informed.